Metallurgical furnace.



U. WEDGE.

METALLURGICAL FURNACE.

APPLICATIQN HLED OCT- 23. I912. RENEWED JULY 1, 1915- 1,162,533. Patented Nov. 30,1915.

7 v wiTNEssEs v NVENTOR Kfi/ r 4 UTLEY WEDGE BY Hi5 ATTORNEY fifi I COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH CO.,WASH!NGTON. Dv c.

TED TAE PAENT' @FFTQ.

UTLEY VI'EIOGE, 0F ARDMORE, PENNSYLVANIA.

METALLURGICAL FURNACE.

Application filed October 23, 1912, Serial No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, UTLEY VVEDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Metallurgical Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to so construct a metallurgical furnace of the helical type as to permit ready inspection, repair or removal of the rabbles and rabble arms. This object I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in Which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a furnace of the helical type constructed in accordance with my is a transverse section on the line o,a, Fig. 1.

In the drawing, 1 represents the outer wall of the furnace from which projects inwardly helically disposed shelf 2, the upper side of this shelf constituting the hearth of the helically disposed treating chamber of the furnace and the under face of the shelf constituting the roof of said treating chamher.

The inner side of the treating chamber is closed by a central hollow shaft 6 which carries rabble arms 4 projecting outwardly therefrom into the treating chamber and intended to be provided with rabbles for stirring the material on the hearth of the chamber and feeding the same forwardly, the shaft having a combined rotating and vertical reciprocating movement imparted. to it so as to cause the rabbles to travel in a spiral course corresponding in pitch to that of the helical chamber of the furnace. Different means may be employed for imparting this combined rotating and vertical reciprocating movement to the shaft 6, the means which I have shown for this purpose in the present instance being a fixed vertical structure 8 centrally located in the shaft and carrying an external spirally disposed track 9 upon which run wheels 10 suitably mounted so as to rotate in brackets on the inner face of the shaft 6. Also secured to the inner face of the shaft 6 is a spirally disposed rack 11 which meshes with one or more bevel wheels 12 each carried by a shaft 13 mounted in suitable hearings on the structure 8 and having a bevel pinion 14 which meshes with a like pinion 15 on a vertical shaft 16 centrally mounted in the structure 8 so that it can be turned thereimfirst in pne direction and then in the opposite till'efltlflnr Specification of Letters Patent.

727,379. Renewed July 1, 1915.

invention, and Fig. 2'

Patented Nov. 31 1915.

Serial No. 37,585.

Heretofore in furnaces of the type to which my invention relates the only movement imparted to the central shaft 6 has been one sufficient to carry each rabble arm back and forth throughout that portion of the treating chamber in which its rabbles are intended to act to effect the stirring and feeding of the material on the hearth of the chamber, and it has been diflicult, if not impossible, to effect repair, renewal or replace ment of a rabble arm or its rabbles. With the view of overcoming this objection I provide for exit of the rabble arms in succession from one end or the other of the treating chamber, whereby, when they are outside of the said treating chamber, they are readily accessible and any one or more of the rabbles, which may be worn or otherwise defective, can be readily repaired or removed and replaced, or, if necessary, the whole arm may be removed and replaced. The readiest way of effecting this removal of the rabble arms from the treating chamher is to increase the extent of movement of the shaft 6 so as to continue the normal or spiral movement of the rabble arm after it has reached the end of the chamber, the latter being provided with a movable or removable closure of some form which can be opened to permit of the passage of the rabble arm and then again closed-to prevent the escape of the gases.

Preferably, a self-acting closure is employed, such, for instance, as the swinging valve shown at 17 in Fig. 2, such valve being swung outwardly by contact with the rabble arm as the latter leaves the treating chamber of the furnace or inwardly as the rabble arm enters the same, and automatically assuming the vertical or closed position as soon as it is free from contact with the rabble arm.

By providing the shaft 6 with a vertical movement equal to the full height of the furnace the rabble arms may all be caused to leave the treating chamber at either top or bottom of the same, or by providing the said shaft 6 with a vertical movement equal to one-half of the height of the furnace onehalf of the rabble arms may be caused. to leave the treating chamber at the top of the same and the other half of the rabble arms may be caused to leave the treating chamber at the bottom. The shaft 6 may exceed in length the height of the furnace by as much as the length. of vertical travel at the chain if it is desired to provide for the closing of the inner side of the treating chamber when the shaft is in either of its extreme positions.

1 claim:

A metallurgical furnace having a helical treating chamber, rabble arms disposed at intervals throughout said chamber, a carrier for said rabble arms, means for moving said carrier in opposite directions, and means whereby the rabble arms can emerge from Copies of this :patent may be obtained for the helical chamber when the carrier is moved in one direction and can enter said helical chamber when the carrier is moved in the opposite direction.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

UTLEY \VEDGE.

Witnesses:

KATE A. BEADLE, HAMILTON D. TURNER.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

